Joe Otterson: Last News

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “The Last of Us” Season 2 is feeling the effects of the writers’ strike. Casting for the second season of the smash hit HBO series had been underway until earlier this week when it was put on hold, according to an individual with knowledge of the production. Prior to that, however, multiple sources say that the casting team was asking actors to read sides taken directly from “The Last of Us Part II,” the video game on which the second season will be based, due to the fact that there are no scripts for Season 2 at this time. The hope is for the season to begin shooting in early 2024 in Vancouver.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Animal Control” has been renewed for Season 2 at Fox, Variety has learned. The renewal comes as little surprise, given the fact that the show is Fox’s first wholly owned live-action comedy. Per Fox, the show’s premiere was the network’s most streamed scripted debut ever, drawing an estimated 4.5 million viewers across all platforms in its first three days of availability. As the name suggests, the series centers on a group of animal control workers. The cast is led by Joel McHale, who stars alongside Michael Rowland, Vella Lovell, Ravi Patel, Grace Palmer, Alvina August, Kelli Ogmundson, and Gerry Dee.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Fantasy Island” will not be returning for Season 3 at Fox, Variety has learned. The reimagining of the classic series originally aired during the summer on Fox, while the second season has been airing as part of the network’s midseason schedule. “We were very pleased with Fantasy Island’s fun and escapist creative, which we had hoped would gain strong traction among viewers. Sony Pictures Television is an important partner of ours, and we look forward to continuing to work with them on ‘Accused,’ ‘Alert: Missing Persons Unit,’ ‘Doc’ and the upcoming animated series Universal Basic Guys/Hoagie Bros. We’d also like to thank Fantasy Island’s cast, led by Roselyn Sánchez, Kiara Barnes and John Gabriel Rodriquez, crew and executive producers Liz Craft, Sarah Fain and Anne Clements for their partnership on the series,” said Fox in a statement.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Walker: Independence” has been canceled at The CW after just one season, Variety has learned. The series served as a prequel to fellow CW show “Walker,” which was just renewed for Season 4 at the network. The show was set in the late 1800s. Per the official description, it followed “Abby Walker (Katherine McNamara), an affluent and tough-minded Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West. After crossing paths with Calian (Justin Johnson Cortez), a curious Apache tracker, Abby arrives in the town of Independence, Texas, where she encounters diverse and eclectic residents running from their pasts, chasing their dreams, and keeping their own secrets.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Minx” Season 2 has an official premiere date at Starz. Now that the period comedy has officially moved over from HBO Max, the second season will premiere on July 21 at midnight on the Starz app, app and all Starz streaming and on-demand platforms. On linear, it will debut on Starz at 9 PM ET/PT in the U.S. and Canada. The first season is currently available to stream on the Starz app. “Minx” is set in 1970s Los Angeles. Per the official description, the series “centers around Joyce (Ophelia Lovibond), an earnest young feminist who joins forces with a low-rent publisher (Jake Johnson) to create the first erotic magazine for women. In season two, Doug and Joyce grapple with Minx’s explosive success, which brings more money, fame and temptation than either of them know how to handle.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “S.W.A.T” has been renewed for Season 7 at CBS, which will also be the show’s last. The move marks a stunning reversal of the network’s decision to cancel the show just three days ago. According to sources, talks continued between CBS and series co-producer Sony Pictures Television over the weekend following the cancellation announcement. The show has been a solid performer for CBS in its Friday night timeslot, with the decision ultimately coming down to the show’s financials. In addition to the renewal, series star Shemar Moore will serve as an executive producer on the final season. “We have listened to our viewers and their outpouring of passion for ‘S.W.A.T.’ and we have reached an agreement to renew it for a final season of 13 episodes to air during the 2023-2024 broadcast year,” said CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach and Sony Pictures Television Studios president Katherine Pope in a joint statement. “‘S.W.A.T.’ has aired for six seasons on CBS and garnered a devoted following. We are pleased that we found a way to bring it back and give closure to the show’s storylines and characters, which audiences deserve. Once again, we appreciate the talents and efforts of the cast, writers, producers and crew and everyone who has contributed to the success of ‘S.W.A.T.’ We look forward to its return next season.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Paramount’s Streaming Data & Marketing Group is making two high-profile changes under Domenic DiMeglio, the executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Paramount Streaming. Firstly, Michael Engelman has been named chief marketing officer of Paramount+ Domestic and Showtime. In that role, he will oversee consumer marketing, strategy, partnerships, lifecycle marketing, customer care, and social and creative execution for all U.S. campaigns. He will be based in Los Angeles. Secondly, Puja Vohra has been named executive vice president of consumer marketing for Paramount+ and Showtime. She will oversee brand, media, and program marketing for Paramount+ and Showtime and will be based in New York.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Call Me Kat” has been canceled after three seasons at Fox, Variety has learned. “We are very proud of ‘Call Me Kat.’ But, unfortunately, the audience response to it was not as strong as we had hoped,” a Fox spokesperson said in a statement. “We are thankful for our partnership with Warner Bros. Television, That’s Wonderful Productions, Sad Clown Productions, BBC Studios, Mayim Bialik, Jim Parsons and the entire cast and crew for their work and dedication to ‘Call Me Kat.'” The multi-cam comedy was a high-profile get for Fox back in 2019, with the network giving the show a series commitment in a highly-competitive situation before formally ordering it to series in May 2020. Both series star Mayim Bialik and executive producer Jim Parsons were coming fresh off of the 12th and final season of the hit CBS multi-cam “The Big Bang Theory,” with “Call Me Kat” representing their first broadcast project after that show.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Eight CBS-owned TV stations will be dropping their affiliation with The CW and becoming independent stations as of September. The stations are: WPSG Philadelphia (DMA #4), WUPA Atlanta (DMA #6), KBCW San Francisco (DMA #10), KSTW Seattle (DMA #12), WTOG Tampa-St. Petersburg (DMA #13), WKBD Detroit (DMA #14), KMAX Sacramento (DMA #20), and WPCW Pittsburgh (DMA #26). This will give the CBS Stations group a total of 14 CBS Television Network stations and 13 independent stations. “We look forward to reimagining these stations as independents while leveraging the considerable value of their prime-time real estate in each of the markets,” said Wendy McMahon, president and co-head of CBS News and Stations. “It’s an exciting time to look at new opportunities to add local programming, including live sports, and shows from across the Paramount Global brands. We are also grateful to have been part of The CW for 17 memorable years and wish our partners at Nexstar continued success.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Yellowstone” is officially coming to an end, with the final episodes of the megahit Paramount Network series’ fifth season set to launch in November. In addition, an untitled sequel series has been ordered and will debut on Paramount Network and Paramount+ in December. The announcement comes after months of speculation that Kevin Costner would be leaving the series, reportedly over his desire to focus on the epic two-part Western feature “Horizon,” which would have seriously impacted his availability to film “Yellowstone.” “’Yellowstone’ has been the cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits – from ‘1883’ to ‘Tulsa King,’ and I am confident our ‘Yellowstone’ sequel will be another big hit, thanks to the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life,” said Chris McCarthy, president & CEO of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “One Piece” creator Eiichiro Oda offered fans an update on the upcoming Netflix live-action series based on the popular manga. “I’ve been working with Tomorrow Studios and Netflix for quite some time now,” Oda wrote in a letter posted online. “Even though they understand each of the characters, we obviously come from very different cultures so, when it comes to entertainment, we have different codes, skill sets, and aims. Sometimes it could be frustrating for both sides. It felt like, ‘We’re all trying to get to the same place so how come we’re not on the same wavelength?’ there was even a time when I thought, ‘Is a foreign production even possible?!’

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The behind-the-scenes world of professional wrestling was infamously closed off to the public for decades, frustrating fans who craved a glimpse of what their favorite performers were really likeoutside the ring.That all changed with the internet and social media. And now, the industry is peeling back the mystique further via a slew of docuseries about pro wrestling’s biggest stars and aspiring grapplers.WWE has a slate of four shows with A&E, including “WWE Rivals” and “WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures.” Meanwhile, Vice TV is releasing Season 4 of the series “Dark Side of the Ring” on May 30. Also in the mix, Apple TV+ recently aired the docuseries “Monster Factory,” named after the famed pro wrestling school in New Jersey where it takes place, and TBS began airing the All Elite Wrestling show “AEW: All Access” in March.Evan Husney, co-creator and executive producer of “Dark Side of the Ring,” says the pro wrestling doc boom is finally happening because the WWE “controlled the narrative for so long.” Only now are fans getting to see things from other perspectives.“[WWE] controlled all the documentaries that were being put out,” he says. “When we came along with our first season, it was the first time on television in a while that you had seen a sort of journalistic approach and different looks at behind-the-scenes stories and controversies on that large of a scale.”Also driving the wrestling docuseries explosion: nostalgia.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter A “Babylon 5” animated movie is in the works from original series creator J. Michael Straczynski. “BABYLON 5 ANIMATED MOVIE [sic] coming from Warner Bros. Animation & WB Home Entertainment!” Straczynski announced via Twitter. “Classic B5: raucous, heartfelt, nonstop, a ton of fun through time and space & a love letter to the fans. Movie title, release date and other details coming one week from today.” The original “Babylon 5” was produced by Warner Bros. Television. The series ran in syndication and on TNT for five seasons, 110 episodes, and seven TV movies, including the 1993 pilot film. The show is considered one of the best sci-fi series ever made by many critics and won numerous awards throughout its run, including two Hugo Awards and a Saturn Award.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Xilam Animation will serve as animation studio on Zack Snyder’s upcoming Netflix series “Twilight of the Gods.” The series was originally announced in 2019. Little is known about the plot other than it will ancient Norse mythology. The voice cast includes: Sylvia Hoeks, Stuart Martin, Pilou Asbaek, John Noble, Paterson Joseph, Rahul Kohli, Jamie Clayton, Kristopher Hivju, Peter Stormare, Jamie Chung, Lauren Cohan, and Corey Stroll. The series does not yet have a premiere date. Xilam’s animation services on the animated series will include lay-out, colour BG, animation and compositing. The studio’s past credits include the Oscar-nominated feature “I Lost My Body” as well as shows like “Oggy and the Cockroaches,” “Zig & Sharko,” and “Chip ‘n’ Dale: Park Life.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Freida Pinto has signed on to “Surface” Season 2 at Apple, Variety has learned exclusively. Pinto joins series star Gugu Mbatha-Raw as well as fellow new cast member Phil Dunster of “Ted Lasso” fame. As previously announced, “Surface” Season 2 will see Mbatha-Raw’s character Sophie return to her hometown of London and “rediscovering the unfinished relationships that have haunted her memories – as she finds out where she really came from, and what made her the flawed person she was.” Pinto will play Grace, Quinn’s (Dunster) fiancé. Quinn is the troubled scion of the infamous Huntley family. As the soon-to-be newest member of the Huntley family, Grace is said to be “conflicted about what she’s really signing up for, and forms a special bond with Sophie.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Pro wrestling legend Chris Jericho is set to star in the upcoming UPtv original movie “Country Hearts,” Variety has learned exclusively. The film, which will premiere this fall, follows “the daughters of country music and rock & roll royalty who find themselves at a crossroads, torn between following their dreams of performing or helping their father run their up-and-coming horse breeding business,” per the official description. “Between old flames, new love, best friends and family – they’ll all need the strength of each other to face the next steps.” Along with Jericho, the cast for the film also includes Lanie McAuley, Katerina Maria, Brendan Morgan, Jeff Irving, Craig Strickland, David Pinard, Michelle Nolden, Genevieve Fisher, Roy Lewis, Lara Amersey, Greg Ellwand, Bebsabe Duque, Celine Bauwmans, and Neil Whitely. A sequel, “Country Hearts Christmas,” has been greenlit already.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Sydney Chandler has been cast as a lead in Noah Hawley’s “Alien” series currently in the works at FX, Variety has learned. Plot and character details are being kept under tight wraps on the project, which was first announced in December 2020. The only detail that has been confirmed is that the show will take place on Earth in the not-too-distant future. The role brings Chandler back to FX, as she previously made her network television debut in the cabler’s 2022 limited series “Pistol” from Danny Boyle, which told the story of the legendary band The Sex Pistols. Chandler starred in the series as Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders. Chandler’s other credits include the film “Don’t Worry Darling” and the Facebook Watch series “SKAM Austin.” She is also set to appear in the upcoming Apple series “Sugar” opposite Colin Farrell.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Netflix has ordered a dramedy series inspired by the memoir “The Pink Marine” written by Greg Cope White, Variety has learned. Currently titled “The Corps,” Netflix has given the show a 10 episode order. The official logline states, “Set in 1990, ‘The Corps’ is about Cameron, a bullied, gay high school student who joins the Marine Corps with his straight best friend, Ray — a dangerous move when being gay in the military meant jail time or worse. As these two friends plunge into Marine Corps boot camp, where the landmines are both literal and metaphorical, they join a platoon of young men on a harrowing journey of transformation.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “9-1-1” is officially done at Fox, with the broadcaster canceling the series after six seasons. However, the show will be moving to ABC for its seventh season, Variety has confirmed. In addition, the sister series “9-1-1: Lone Star” has been renewed for Season 5 at Fox. “It has been an honor to be the founding network of ‘9-1-1’ and we are grateful to Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear, together with Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Oliver Stark, Aisha Hinds, Kenneth Choi, Ryan Guzman and the rest of the cast and crew, and 20th Television for delivering such an impactful series to Fox,” the network said in a statement. “We wish them well after ‘9-1-1’s’ final Fox season concludes.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Bosch: Legacy” has been renewed for Season 3 at Amazon Freevee ahead of the show’s Season 2 premiere. The announcement was made ahead of Amazon’s NewFront presentation in New York on May 1. The first season of “Bosch: Legacy” debuted on Freevee in May 2022, with Season 2 set to air this fall. Like its predecessor, the Prime Video series “Bosch,” the Freevee series is based on the Bosch novels written by Michael Connelly. “The story of Harry Bosch has evolved over the years, and his journey is far from over,” said LaurenAnderson, head of AVOD Originals, unscripted, and targeted programming at Amazon Studios. “Thisrenewal of ‘Bosch: Legacy’ is a testament to the enduring power of the world Michael Connelly built. Welook forward to giving Bosch fandom the next chapter for these beloved characters.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Scott Greenberg, the co-founder and CEO of Fox-owned animation studio Bento Box Entertainment, is exiting the company, Variety has confirmed. Greenberg is also the CEO of Fox’s Web3 media and creative technology company Blockchain Creative Labs (BCL). He will officially depart both roles on May 19. “It’s been an incredible honor and privilege to work alongside the many people who have helped build Bento Box and Blockchain Creative Labs into two great companies,” Greenberg said. “The many series and projects we launched together are a great source of lasting pride to me. Deep down, I’m an entrepreneur at heart who enjoys building organizations and nurturing their teams to bring out the best in themselves. With Bento Box and BCL running full steam ahead on the path for continued growth and success, now is the time to explore new opportunities.”